The present invention relates to a tracked vehicle drive/steering system.
When operating a vehicle, it is desirable for the operator to be able to perceive the turning status of the vehicle and/or to prevent unintentional vehicle turning upon initiation of vehicle motion. For example, when an operator starts a vehicle moving, it is desirable that the operator be able to know whether or not the vehicle will begin turning as it starts to move. In most conventional tractors, it is possible to discern the turning status of the tractor by viewing the position of the steerable wheels. On most current production tracked vehicles, there are no steerable wheels, but there is a spring centered steering wheel, and the steering is centered unless the operator holds the steering wheel away from its centered position.
Recently, non-centered steering wheel input mechanisms have been proposed for tracked vehicles, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,490. In a vehicle with such a mechanism there may be no indication of its turning status until the vehicle starts to move. Thus, an operator who has previously performed a counterrotation turn and then stops the vehicle for some time, may not remember the vehicle turning status upon resumption of vehicle motion. It would be undesirable for an operator to rapidly accelerate a vehicle, while believing it would travel straight, when in reality it would begin turning.